<p>from VH1.com:
"Think stars are having all of the fun? Think again. These days nobody’s making more and spending more than the buttoned-down badasses of Wall Street. From their sprawling estates and tricked-out private yachts to exotic vacation homes and multi-million dollar art collections-- these guys are living larger than anyone else on the planet. Welcome to The Fabulous Life of Billion Dollar Wall Street Ballers</p>
<p>Let’s talk salaries people. Hedge Fund King Steven Cohen pulled in $1 billion in 2006. Financier Edward Lampert? He raked in $1.5 billion. That’s right…in just one year. And you’d better believe these guys know how to spend their hard earned money too…especially when it comes to real estate. Billionaire investor Jeffrey Epstein? He lives in the absolute largest dwelling in all of Manhattan, a 51,000-sq-ft palace on E. 71st street. Eddie Lampert paid over $20 million for a magnificent waterfront property in Greenwich, CT…only to tear it down and rebuild. But of all the Wall Street spenders around, absolutely nobody can outdo Steven Cohen. He’s got a 32,000-sq-ft Greenwich home complete with massage, exercise and media rooms, plus a full-size basketball court, tennis court, ice-skating rink and even a 700-square-foot house just for his Zamboni. Cohen has also spent over $700 million in just the past five years building one of the country’s greatest private art collections, including works by Vincent van Gogh, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. But not every Wall Street heavyweight digs fine art. Florida financier John Devaney? He spends his multi-millionaire dollar fortune on some very expensive toys including a private Gulfstream jet and TEN yachts. And these tycoons even turn charity into a massive spending spree too. In 2007, Wall Streeters raised $71 million for the poverty-fighting Robin Hood Foundation in just one night.</p>
<p>From their unbelievable mega homes to their mindboggling bonuses and the insane splurges that go with them…this is The Fabulous Life of Billion Dollar Wall Street Ballers."</p>
<p>I have found that you can only be in one room at a time, drive one car at a time, and be in any one place at a time. The idea of giving money is fun–the rest marginal in actual enjoyment. When I drive by Bill Gates’ house I am enjoying the same air, the same view, the same weather. Sometimes we even enjoy the same restaurants. But I don’t have to do it with body guards.</p>
<p>I was just a bit curious. Do you guys in business, i bankers and etc., ever feel guilty that it is possible for you guys to make such huge bucks while doctors get a lot less? I am not saying that medicine is a more important profession, but…doctors have the ability to save your life/ improve the quality of it. Just curious…cause I know not ALL of you guys are greedy like the stereotype dictates.</p>
<p>Well geez I didn’t think they cry, but don’t you think its unfair that a doctor can save a life, and get $200,000/ year, while some i- banker does nothing to help the life of others, and gets much more than that. And you need much more training to become a doctor, escpecially for those that make $200k +. You don’t get that type of coin until about 34 years old or older in medicine. Yet business people can earn that at age 25. </p>
<p>And about teachers, I sorta do agree that they deserve more, but come on. Doctors and business people work insane hours (80+ sometimes), while teachers work 7:00 am- 3:00 pm. Gee, they deserve our sympathy. I have also have teachers that were pretty bad, who I don’t think deserve more money. At least in business and medicine you have to be good to earn the big bucks. Finally, teachers don’t excessive years of training, while doctors do.</p>
<p>In response to collegefreak12, I don’t think they feel guilty, and if they do, they have a strange way of showing it. I agree, the salary discrepency between doctors and i bankers is terrible, although doctors could always give up medicine and go into business if their money hungry enough.</p>
<p>IBProcrastinator, they could do that, I suppose, or doctors could get payed the money they deserve :-). I am interested in medicine and business, so don’t get fooled that I am somehow directly involved in medicine. I just think, even if I don’t become a doctor, that they deserve to be making as much as these i- bankers are.</p>
<p>I completley agree, I think being a doctor is one of the few jobs that truly deserves high pay, and given the pay of some other jobs such as i bankers, certainly more. Comming from a family with many doctors, and wanting to go into business myself, I know that doctors are generally kind people who wouldn’t trade anything for their job, money included. In comparison I have to say I feel bad just by wanting to go business, compared to their desire to help.</p>
<p>If your number one concern is money, you shouldnt be a doctor anyway. </p>
<p>Anywho, most hurry into the field of medicine because they believe that it is an instant winner for job security, good salary, ect. A dedicated investor with a little luck and quite a bit of guts can hit it big through various risky investments like tax liens and small cap stocks. It doesnt matter how much money you make. Its all about how you budget that money. You can try to keep up with the Jones’ or you can invest through various assets and make some good money. Many business people are, in fact, richer than many doctors. No, I’m not talking exclusively about real estate giants and business owners. I’m talking about accountants and ordinary finance workers, because they know money. Any person with a decent salary can become rich. You just need a good “financial” education to do so. What doctors do with their money is up to them, but I’m fairly sure they didnt learn about compound interest and the greatness of 1031 sitting in med school. Educate yourself, then you will be rich, regardless of your profession.</p>
<p>If you were genuinely interested in helping people, you wouldn’t care about a doctor’s salary. You won’t starve anywhere in the country on 6 figures.</p>
<p>My dad actually watched the Fabulous life with me (I like to show him things like that just to annoy him, lol) My parents don’t mind or anything, you can do a lot of good by becomming a successful i banker (or any job you enjoy, really) and giving back to the community by donating money. After all, much funding for reasearch to cure diseases, comes from those who acquired their wealth through business professions. Its just a different contribution to society, although they still hold a grudge against i bankers in general, lol.</p>